


And their God loved her...

by Gwenore



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Body Horror, Cults, F/M, Lovecraftian, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-30
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-20 22:09:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9518198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gwenore/pseuds/Gwenore
Summary: The year is 1924 and Ruben Gold, a professor in ancient languages at Miskatonic University in the town of Arkham, is working on translating ancient parchments found in Siberia. Due to the incidents which has plagued the university he is distrusted by the people of Arkham. This has caused him having trouble to keep a maid in his house daring to stay more than a couple of weeks due to the claims of him being… unnatural.That was until Belle French came to Arkham. Having stayed there for a couple of months, not fearing him, the professor finds himself helplessly in love with the young brilliant woman.He shares his work with her, telling her about the ancient legend he has translated and she is utterly fascinated.Belle finds herself drawn to her strange employer, even more so as he allows her to use his library and shares with her such interesting stories.Though soon the two of them finds that although a story may be seen as legend it does not mean it is fiction… and even though its words were written by a madman does not mean it isn’t true…





	1. Chapter 1

“This place is… astonishing, Mr. Gold,” the young maid named Belle said as she walked around the seemingly ancient library which was situated below the true library at Miskatonic University. Ruben Gold, her employer was a professor of ancient languages at the university which gave him access to this place which most people or even students at the school knew existed. Most professors did not know about this place.

The books here were ancient and she could see a heavy layer of dust on them. From her employer all that came was a low huff as he rummaged through the basket of food which she had brought him.

He had only expected her to come down with the food, having left the door open for her, and then go back to his house and turn in, as it was already passed ten. He would stay in the library, having very important texts to translate.

Ruben Gold was one of those men who was brilliant in mind, though that was an aspect which was respected most people held him to be completely insane and would rather avoid speaking with him for any length of time.

Like this type of men, he was also utterly useless when it came to looking after himself or his home. As he was a bachelor, his wife having left him nearly two decades ago, he had been hiring several servants, though none of them could stand being around him for more than a week or two at the most. These would say that though he was not abusive or anything of the sort… he just unnerved them and they were certain that his house was haunted due to the nightmares they were all marred with while under his service.

It had therefore not taken long before no one would dare to serve in his house, despite the good wages which it provided.

That was until a young woman named Belle French came to Arkham.

Desperate for work she took up the position of the professor’s maid, though in truth it was more than being his caretaker than just a maid.

He had expected her to be gone like the rest, but at least he would have a week or two without having to worry about something as trivial as if he had something to eat whenever he got back from the university.

That was two months ago and the young woman had yet to run away from her service. This puzzled Ruben Gold greatly.

She did not even seem unhappy. Her cooking left some to be desired, but it was warm and usually not burned so badly that it was not edible. She took good care of his home, though he suspected that not all the time she spent caring for his own quite sizable library was not just because she felt the need to keep that place free of dust.

There had after all been several times he had walked in and she desperately tried to hide a book which had beckoned her curiosity.

He never mentioned it, pretending that he had never seen it. In fact he did not mind her reading the books. The ones she could read was not dangerous… those he kept in his office or with him and he hardly believed his maid were able to read those as he had spent months translating.

So his maid enjoying a bit of reading, that hardly mattered. She still attended to her chores well enough. Most important of all she could stand his company.

Picking up a sandwich his dark eyes fell on the maid which was now wandering among the shelves, her blue eyes running over the many books, her supple fingers caressing the spines.

He was not blind… he saw how beautiful and down here… among the dark shelves in this hidden library, she almost seemed to glow. He could feel his heart pound against his ribs intensely.

Belle… beauty. A better name could not have been chosen for her. Oh, how he wanted her… desired her with a burning fire.

Forcing his eyes back to his books he attempted to think of something else… anything else.

He had expected her to soon excuse herself, but she continued to wander through the shelves. He slowly started to wander after her, but staying back… as if he got too close she would startle and leave.

Almost all which ventured too far into the bowels of the library seemed to wish to leave as soon as possibly… but not her. She seemed as if she wished to stay… as comfortable in this place as in his home… like no one before had ever been.

“Enjoying yourself?”

His dark voice made the young maiden startle as she glanced over at him, biting her lip with uncertainty. The older professor slowly moved closer to her, his nearly black eyes upon her as he imagined for a moment pushing her against the shelves and biting her lip as she had done. Then to lower his…

Ruben Gold blinked his eyes.

No…

If he were to do that… she would certainly run from him… especially acting on his carnal desires. Ruben Gold knew well what they whispered about him… that he was… unnatural. With the recent incidents and disappearances happening at the prestigious university all of the professors were held under suspicion by the people of Arkham.

So to attack a woman… a young beautiful woman whom served with him, that would be a scandal that he would never be able to recover from. But oh dear, how he wished to stroke his fingertips across her skin… hearing her gasp at his touch. He longed to feel her creamy skin tense, feeling her resist and then give in… letting him in…

“Excuse me, Mr. Gold?” he was snapped out of his lustful haze by her voice… a voice which he was certain that she could put him helplessly in thrall. He took a step closer, gazing into her blue eyes.

“I was simply asking if you were enjoying yourself… I mean… you do seem to enjoy my book collection back home after all,” he said with a slight grin upon his lips.

This seemed to surprise her and she stood there, her eyes wide as she now understood that he had found her out. She let out a slight stutter as she twinned her fingers.

“I am sorry Mr. Gold… I shall not do it again!” she was quick to promise, though in truth he had to admit that he did not believe her.

“I never said that this was a bad thing… after all… I could have brought it up earlier should I find an issue with it. Would be a bad move on my part if I were to chastise the one maid in the entirety of Arkham who has dared to stay in my home for more than two weeks. So… enjoy my library, I am certain that you keep it free of dust which… certainly cannot be a bad thing,” Ruben Gold gave a shrug as he slightly turned his attention to the shelves, fearing that if he looked at her for too long she would know how he thought of her.

To his surprise he heard her give a light laugh before she reached out a daring hand and touched his own, him startling slightly at her touch, but the warmth of her hand felt nice.

“I have to admit, Mr. Gold… I have heard a bit of stories around town,” Belle gave a slight nod. When she first started to work and heard those stories she was certain that her service with this professor would make her life akin to a gothic horror novel.

Instead… what she was met with was this gentle, rather strange man, seemingly more nervous around her than she was around him. He was never once rude to her, paid her on time and eating together he had never been anything but polite. She had started to expect to see this scary man everyone spoke off, but… well… yes he was strange, at times she caught him muttering to himself, wandering around a bit while he thought, and exclaim something loudly if he figured out something he had been pondering about.

However… this was just who he was and the more time she had spent with him she found him endearing. She found she actually enjoyed taking care of him and his home. Though he did in truth spend a lot of time at the university she found that she really did enjoy his company and wished to have more of it.

“Why…?”

His voice brought her back to reality causing her to blink towards him.

“Excuse me, Mr. Gold?” she questioned, thinking that she had not heard him right.

“Why have you stayed if you know what they say about me?” he questioned, his face leaned slightly closer to hers.

“Um… well… I really do love your library,” she let out a small laugh. He blinked gently before he smiled softly towards her.

“Well… since you enjoy it so much, at least now you do not really have to hide your love for it and may enjoy it freely,” Ruben Gold continued to gaze into her eyes. Her laugh made his heart pound harder.

“In all honesty I guess that I do not really understand why they tell these stories about you Mr. Gold… I certainly do not find you scary,” she still smiled towards him. Ruben Gold made a slight movement of his head.

“I guess that people do enjoy a good story… certainly after what has happened at this university…” Ruben Gold gave a slight shrug.

“I have heard the stories,” Belle had to give a slight shudder.

“Most of it is tall tales of course. There has been cases of certain members of our university who has had a… nervous breakdown, but this happens. It needs not to be a cause behind it,” he pointed towards her as if to tell her to mark his words before he walked back to his work.

“I do not believe what they say, but as you said… people love a good story, even willingly believing men who has most certainly gone insane… oh! I am sorry! You knew them did you not?” she covered her mouth with a gasp. He let out a low chuckle.

“Not well. And it is no reason to be ashamed by saying the truth, they did go utterly and completely insane. Which is why they ended up in the insane asylum. Insanity… no one is immune to it… not even professors working at a university,” he chuckled slightly. Belle found herself following him, having to admit she was very intrigued by what had happened here.

“Um… Mr. Gold? May I ask what you do here at the university? I have always wondered,” she asked, having not dared to do so before, but now… she felt a bit more bold with him, especially after he had told her that he already knew about what she had thought been able to keep secret, yet he had allowed her to continue, not having a bad word to say about her love for books… if anything encouraging it. It made her feel that what she was already suspecting. Professor Ruben Gold was a good man. A strange and unusual man perhaps… but a good one.

“Translating old documents for the most part, this library has very many books which cannot be read by most modern scholars. Though my latest project… it is a curious legend. Ancient beyond description. The language outdates any known to us and yet… incredibly advanced,” he muttered, speaking more to himself than her.

“Can… can you translate it?” she asked curiously.

“I have managed to do it… most of it at least. It has similarities to Akkadian though far older and it was found in Siberia by a Russian expedition… a far way from ancient Babylon, to say the very least,” he let out a low sigh.

“Siberia… then… how come you have it?” she questioned.

“After the tsar fell… let us just say that several items came up for sale if you know where to look. I just so happen to be one of those people,” he let out a low chuckle.

“Not entirely legal I assume?” she questioned him, a mild scolding tone to her voice though as he glanced over he saw a smile on her lips.

“Well… better me who knows what to do with it rather than some ignorant fool who would surely destroy it due to incompetence,” the older man huffed himself up merely at the thought of such a thing coming to pass. Belle had to give a slight shake of her head, living in his home she knew all the sorts of items that the professor had collected in his time, most of which she could not name nor even begin to guess where they were from and she hardly thought that most had been easy to come by.

“Well… I suppose you have a point,” she did have to give him that. Such a piece of history falling into the wrong hands… to be used to profit… or at worse destroyed it would simply make the world poorer.

“It is quite the wonderful document. The illustrations are beautiful…” he was now lost in his own words, Belle seeing his passion glowing from his eyes and she had to give a slight smile.

“Do you… do you have it here?” she had to admit her curiosity was growing steadily. He only gave a short nod. “May I… may I see it?”

Ruben Gold glanced over at her, a bit of surprise in those dark eyes, but he already did know that she was a curious sort, something that he had to admire about her. She was not only beautiful, but there was a intellect there behind those blue eyes that only made him adore her more. He gave her a short nod.

“It is… quite strange though…” he said in a low voice as he walked slowly towards the desk.

“I do not mind strange, it is rather more fascinating than things that are normal,” Belle gave a slight laugh towards him as she watched him clear the desk of everything and laid down a cotton sheet. Slowly then he lifted up his leather suitcase and carefully unpacked three pieces of parchment.

Belle glanced upon them, like Mr. Gold had said they were indeed magnificent… though… strange. They were filled with symbols… which astonished her that he was able to read as a language, but it was the illustrations which filled her with wonder.

The image in the center was of this… creature with four arms splayed out, two more like human arms, while the other longer set was sticking out from the creature’s shoulders, having only three fingers instead of five. Both sets had horrific claws at the end, but the ones with the three fingers had claws like serrated blades. Though its face was hidden she could see the eyes glowing as it was decorated with gold leaf. Between its monstrous clawed arms stood a human woman, her arms held outward, nearly touching the arms of the creature while its tail wrapped around the woman’s leg like a snake.

On the image to the left it was filled with these strange… Belle was not certain what to call them. They looked… human? Perhaps, only all had between three and four arms, human like faces, though a bit of an bulbous elongated skull. Their hands had either five or three fingers, the one with three fingers having long blade like claws on them. Both them and the big creatures had scales and what seemed to be armored growths creating spikes and horns with great variety. Belle felt as if she could stare at it for an eternity and still find details that she had not seen before. These strange creatures seemed to worship the creature and the woman in the middle image, some of them carrying staffs with strange symbols of the four-armed creature in the middle.

Then her blue eyes started to wander over at the last image and she furrowed her brows.

The woman from the middle was gone and the large four-armed creature had its head held up in a soundless scream in the background while its worshippers were running away. But there was also another group… humans, clawing at each other, ripping their clothes off and even feeding on each other in a mass of madness.

“What… what is this…?” she questioned.

“A legend… of sorts. The author is unknown, but he does claim that this is true… that this happened… though… as I am certain you can see from the illustrations that is quite the fantastical claim to make,” Mr. Gold made a slight shrug with his shoulders, his dark eyes gliding over the images as he had done so many times before.

“And, you have managed to translate it?” she questioned in wonder.

“Yes… after years of frustration… it is closest to Akkadian, which helped unlock most of what is written, but… even now it is not complete. I would in fact claim that the man who wrote this was a madman… not that it would be the first book or document in here written by a madman…” Ruben Gold could not keep from running his hand through his hair with a sigh.

“Could you… tell me the legend?” her inquisitive blue eyes enticed his dark ones away from the images. He found himself blinking before he gave a short nod.

“If you wish to hear it… but… it is quite the odd tale,” he murmured softly.

“I do.”

Softly the university professor glanced towards the parchments again and then started to tell a tale claimed to be true.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mr. Gold tells Belle about the legend written on the ancient parchments.

Belle watched with fascination as professor Ruben Gold pointed towards the first parchment on the left, his fingers hovering slightly over the ancient skin.

“These… I have not been able to decipher what they are called nor do I believe that I would be able to pronounce their name should I be able to do so. I believe to call them acolytes will suffice,” he explained to the woman standing by his side, listening intently to every word that he spoke. If only his students had been as good at paying attention.

“Acolytes…” she repeated staring at them.

“Yes. They are said to live in a world… or land… beside our own. Again the word ‘beside’ is perhaps one that can be called into question in its meaning,” Ruben Gold muttered.

“So like a neighboring country or the like?” Belle glanced at him.

“More metaphysical than that. This author seems to believe… too bad that he never gives his name… that there exist another world… besides our own. A sort of… mirror world, only that the creatures inhabiting that worlds are far more… ancient. It is a world of darkness, a horrible place with biting cold and howling winds, though he gives us little other information about it. Anyway… these acolytes came to this world with the being simply referred to as their Father. This could also refer to as their god. Which would be him,” Ruben Gold pointed at the four-armed monstrosity which held its arms around the maiden.

“A bit of a curious thing, but it seems that the four-armed acolytes outrank those with only three arms,” he told her, a bit of laughter in his voice, Belle laughing too.

“Well… it makes sense. The ones with the four-arms would be seen as closer to their god than the ones with three. Perhaps they are viewed as more blessed than the rest, the favorites in a sense,” Belle commented and the professor gave her a slight nod.

He continued to grow more and more infatuated with the young maid. How silly. He was a man in his fifties and yet he was fawning over this beauty as if he was a young boy just entering puberty. Hardly proper behavior for a man of his stature. Still to find her not recoiling at what fascinated him so much drew him only closer… how he wished that he could have her…

“But… who is she?” her voice once again made him able to withdraw himself from the thoughts occupying his mind. Giving a slight shake of his head to try to regain some of his concentration.

“She… she is referred to as the Mother, if that is the king, she is the queen. She is also referred to as its lover… which…” Ruben Gold did not continue.

“That must be an odd love story…” Belle had to raise a slight eyebrow at it.

“Hm… and sadly one that does not end well,” the professor mentioned as he turned to the last parchment. Belle furrowed her brows… looking at the last image with the Father seemingly screaming while his acolytes ran away and the humans turning on each other.

“What… happened to them?” she felt her heart start to pound in pity for the strange creature.

“I do not know… it says it lost her. This caused the Father such pain that he let out a scream so filled with pure agony and indescribable torment, which ripped through the worlds, and the acolytes fled in horror back to the darkness where they hid. The humans which heard the scream as punishment… I believe that the author tries to imply that it was the humans that took the Mother away from the Father… went insane upon hearing the scream… loosing every sense of reason even to the point of feeding upon each other,” Ruben Gold’s hand was hovering over the image of the maddened humans depicted there.

“How… how tragic… I know I should not feel sympathy towards a simple image… but… you can almost see the pain it is in…” Belle gazed down upon the image of the monstrous creature howling for the woman that it loved so much.

“Yes… you do sort of feel sorry for it,” the professor gave a nod, though Belle had been the only one that he had shown it too which had shown sympathy towards the creature in the image, the rest simply having either commented on the style or the horrific nature of it. Because it was in a way true. What was depicted was not in any way pleasant, but was it truly the creature’s fault?

“What… what happened to it?” Belle then asked, tugging gently on the professor’s arm. He shook his head.

“It died. Without its love it would not go back without her and it remained until it froze solid along with the land. The acolytes being stranded in their world of dark and cold… their Mother and Father lost forever to them,” Mr. Gold explained as he gently started to pack up the parchments again. To his surprise he heard a slight sniffling sound, turning to see his young maid trying to discreetly dry away a tear.

“Miss French…?” he questioned with a slight wonder in his voice.

“Oh… just ignore me, Mr. Gold… I am being an utter fool right now… I just feel so sorry for them… being all alone in that world… and with what happened to the Father… and… oh dear I am making such a mess of myself,” she blushed a slight laugh coming from her lips as she attempted to hide herself. He simply shook his head.

“You are a compassionate woman Miss French… never loose that. Trust me, the world has enough of cold and cruel people… please do not become one of them,” Ruben Gold said with a soft look on his eyes. Belle could not conceal a surprised look in her eyes. She had never really expected this to come from him, but it made her smile again.

“You know… I always felt bad. In the stories… when the monster is slain… usually, it may have done something wrong… but… not enough to deserve death,” she confessed. Mr. Gold simply gave a shrug.

“Monsters usually kidnaps maidens… seems that was its crime as well if I were to guess and why she was eventually taken from it,” Mr. Gold mentioned towards the suitcase where the parchments were now securely put. Belle let her blue eyes wander over to it and remained silent for quite some time.

“Do you… do you think it loved her? The creature?” she then asked.

“I think it is a legend,” the professor said curtly. Belle simply rolled her eyes at him.

“In the story. Do you believe it loved her?” she repeated.

“Of course. In its way. It must be very easy for a creature to fall in love with the young maiden, beautiful as she is. If she is kind… well then it is even easier for the monster to fall. And its scream when she was gone… I believe that without her beauty and kindness the monster saw no reason to continue living… choosing rather to freeze to death in a land that was not its own. I guess that the question that we need to ask is… could she ever love it? Or was she forced to stay with it? Perhaps she only felt relief at finally being free of the monster, rejoicing as it froze solid in its despair,” the professor’s voice had gotten a dark tone, his eyes continuously staring down at the suitcase. Belle bit her lip as she observed him. He looked so lost in that moment… as if he wasn’t talking merely about some creature of legend… but rather…

“I don’t know… as you said… it is just a legend… but… I like to believe she did… and that she missed it as much as it missed her. She was called the Mother was she not?” Belle questioned. Mr. Gold let out a low chuckle, sounding more like a scoff.

“A title which could have been easily trust upon someone entirely unwilling,” he countered.

“But in the image… she did not really look scared… she did not seem like a captive. If anything she looked… happy, being inside the grasp of the creature,” Belle thought back to the image, feeling a bit strange simply thinking of it. A strange… wish, to have what the image had. To be loved so unconditionally… to be wanted and be chosen… to be needed.

“How… how do you think she could love a monster?” the was a tinge of disbelief in Ruben Gold’s voice.

“Perhaps… Mr. Gold… it was not a monster to her…”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Professor Ruben Gold falls further in love with his maid.

After their conversation about such an ancient legend, the professor of ancient languages named Ruben Gold surprised himself by deciding not to stay at the library into the dawning light of morning as he had intended, but instead decided to return home with his maid after they had shared the food between them.

Even though he was exhausted, the professor find himself unable to sleep as his mind kept going back to their conversation.

Belle’s words… they haunted him. In truth he had never even considered a young woman would ever care for a monster… but Belle saw it differently.

It in truth made him question everything he had researched upon this old legend… but more… in truth… it made him smile. He of course knew that this in no way meant that she would ever have feelings for him, but… this woman saw the best in that horrific creature, she took pity on its image. Feeling pity for the monster that had lost its beautiful maiden.

He let out a loud scoff.

How silly he was. It was a legend written by a madman… more than ever Mr. Gold was certain the author was mad… but the thought would not leave him be.

If the maiden could love the creature… to not see it as the monster that it deemed by the rest of humanity to be… could Belle care for him?

If she was able to see beyond what everyone else saw as so frightening… fore he knew well people thought of him as unnatural… could she then… care for him?

It was with these thoughts that Ruben Gold fell asleep… dreaming of her, his hand hovering over the suitcase where the parchments were kept.

 

After that day many remarked that there was a change in the professor. He seemed… happy. It was a strange notion for most of those working at Miskatonic university or lived in the town of Arkham.

Mr. Gold would still not interact with a lot of people… in fact hardly look people in the eye except for saying greetings in response when someone greeted him. But there was a mildness in his face which most hadn’t seen.

His colleagues had also noticed a change as he no longer would stay nights over in the hidden library anymore, going home perhaps a bit late, but mostly actually at what was reasonable times, something that he had never done before.

In truth many became more at ease around him. Many had earlier spoken about the professor loosing his mind, which if someone were to do it, it would certainly be Ruben Gold and with all that had been going on at the university, most would not wish their names to be associated with another madman. However, now it seemed that he was… healthier would be the easiest word to use to describe the professor. His mood was lighter and though still strange by everyone’s account, it was hardly more than was expected from a man working in the field of academia.

What people did not know was that there was a very good reason for the change in Ruben Gold’s mood.

A certain Belle French.

After their shared moment in the library where he told her the legend they had simply grown closer with each other. More at ease in a sense.

Belle knew who this man was now, and he become more as a friend to her than her employer. Certainly she still had her chores to do, but it was not as she minded. He had been good on his word and she was now able to take books from his library into her own room and read them there before bed, without her fearing that he was going to notice that they were gone.

She had also noticed that he now chose to spend more time at home. They still ate together and after her chores were done they would have tea in the parlor where they would either read together or speak of what ever came to mind.

It was nice. She felt as although this man had far more knowledge than her, he never looked down upon her because of it, treating her as his equal, and even if they got into a heated discussion… which did happen as they hardly agreed on everything and both of pretty firm mind… he would attack the points that she had made, not her character or that she was in fact an uneducated woman. Even if certain exchanges ended in soft sighs of ‘foolish woman’ and ‘stupid man’, but there was always a grin on their lips as they said that.

Last night’s exchange went through Belle’s head as she put a bouquet of flowers in the kitchen window, having to laugh slightly.

The more she got to know him, the more she found Mr. Gold an very sweet man, having noticed that once in a while there would be a new book placed upon the little table in the library for her. Usually it was one that she had spoken about and wished to read, while other times it had been a book which he thought that she would enjoy reading.

She had questioned him about this and he had instantly became flustered, muttering something about perhaps he wanted to read it, or that since she seemed so interested in it, she should be able to read it. Again a smile came upon her lips.

A sweet man indeed.

It seemed like him sharing the legend with her… the one he had spent so long translating, having worked and thought about for months… had in some strange way made him trust her. They had never talked more about the legend, with perhaps the exception of her asking him about how his work was doing.

Belle let out a small hum as she wandered out of the kitchen, over to the living room in order to open the windows, letting in some fresh air and making her ready to do some dusting.

She had to admit that she really enjoyed the fact that he had in fact shared this with her. It was like a secret between the two of them. They were the only two in who knew how many thousands of years had heard this story.

Perhaps they would be able to talk more about it over tea this evening… she really hoped so. She adored more than anything their talks.

In truth… she hardly felt like his maid. It felt more that she was a friend living with him. A friend who took care of him and his house… perhaps friend was wrong. More like his…

She stopped, shaking her head.

She should really stop thinking about such silly things when she still had work to do. Fair enough that they had in her mind became friends now, it should not mean that she should avoid her duties after all.

He would be back soon, and she should at least have done the dusting until then.

 

Mr. Gold was sitting at his desk in the hidden library, taking out his pocket watch and looking at the time.

He should really be heading home soon, already he was able to hear the faint clatter of the library closing above him. He actually wished to go home now… it was a strange feeling for him, perhaps because only now it actually felt like a home and just not a place for him to store his things.

He had in these days only grown fonder of Miss French and he would be a fool to deny it to himself. They had grown closer and not once had she flinched away from him.

Still he felt that if he just confessed his feelings with the intensity of which he felt them…

Perhaps… something else…

What if he offered to take her out for dinner? Could that work? If she was opposed to the idea he could merely claim that it was a sign of gratitude for the great job that she had been doing or a token of friendship…

If she didn’t mind… then… perhaps he could continue to show her signs of his affection to test if she would be… accepting.

He nodded to himself. He would ask her to join him for dinner… that should be good. He wanted to see her happy, which was why he had to buy every book he had heard her speak about or in truth any book that he thought she would like, in a hope that he would see her smile. Many times as they sit reading he would always spend a great amount of time watching her, seeing that enchanting smile come upon her lips and he would always fall for its enchanted nature, unable to do anything else in that moment.

Finding that he had not done any of the work that he was supposed to do and simply daydreaming of her with his pen moving between his fingers gently.

Best get home… he was doing no good just sitting here, he thought to himself as he grabbed the suitcase where he kept the parchments. They never were far from his side. He could not explain it, but he just felt more comfortable having them close to him… just that he could look upon them everything he would wish. Ruben Gold did not think long about why he had this urge.

Standing up he all the sudden heard the howl of a storming wind. That was odd… was it not a sunny day outside? Certainly it was turning to evening, but it had been cloudless for days now. Glancing around he found to his surprise that the sound did not come above him… but… just beside him.

Slowly he turned around and then saw a door. It was twisted and ancient in structure, its pillars depicted twisted four four-armed clawed creatures, holding up certain symbols… symbols he had spent months translating.

Without knowing what came over him he started to speak the words, those words flowing out of his lips without any hindrance. He was speaking a language not heard upon the earth for millennia.

And before him… the door opened.

The sound of the wind was howling in his ears, the cold hitting him in the chest. In truth he was filled with terror staring into this great expanse just beyond the door.

He should have ran away in fear… he should have turned around and running for his life.

But… he did not.

He walked through the door…

…and the door shut behind him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle rapport Ruben Gold missing and meets his son.

Ruben Gold was missing.

It had been one week since Belle French had expected the professor home for dinner, but he had never arrived. She had been surprised and a little bit saddened by this, but shrugged it off… it was not as if there hadn’t been times when he had spent a night in the office, even though he hadn’t done so lately.

He must have had important work to do she figured, but she was saddened that they would not get to have tea together and talking.

But she greatly worried when the next evening came and she had not heard anything from him. She was certain that she was being silly, but just before the sun set she made her way over to the Miskatonic university library, but the librarian told her that no one was there. Excusing herself she made her way down to the hidden part of the library, expecting to find him hunched over a desk translating some important text.

But… he was not there.

This was when Belle truly got worried. She then started to ask around the campus, but no one had seen Ruben Gold, nor knew where he could be.

When he hadn’t made any sign of himself the next day either, Belle felt that she had not other choice, but to go to the police reporting him missing.

It was a certain officer David Nolan who was assigned to the case, assuring her that he would look for him and asking if there was family which they should alert.

“I am not too certain… wait he has a son… I must confess officer I do not know much about his personal life. Mr. Gold… he is a bit of a private person,” Belle told him. Officer David Nolan gave a nod, it was not unknown that professor Gold usually kept to himself. The fact that he was divorced and had a son was just about everything the city of Arkham knew of the man.

“Do not worry about it Miss French, I will contact him to know that his father is missing, you go back home now, and I am certain that professor Gold has just perhaps gone on a trip or something,” officer Nolan attempted to give an explanation.

“That does not sound like him… the time that I have been in his service he has not even spoken about wishing to travel. He is very intense about his work… I cannot imagine a reason why he would wish to leave it. This is why I am so worried,” Belle explained. David Nolan glanced down with a sigh.

“I will find him, I swear to you,” David Nolan attempted to assure her.

“Thank you very much, officer Nolan,” Belle had smiled towards him.

But this had not happened, professor Ruben Gold remained missing. Belle had spent every evening looking out the window, hoping to see the shape of Mr. Gold come walking up the walkway to the house… but every evening she was forced to go to sleep, not knowing the fate of the man she had come to care for as a friend.

It was now the evening of the seventh day since the first day that he had been missing and Belle was making her way down towards the train station. It was yesterday evening that she had received a telegram from a certain Neal Cassidy that he would be coming to town due to his father’s disappearance. She was surprised as he did not share the professor’s last name, but taken into account that the professor was indeed divorced and the great scandal which usually came with that… perhaps it was not too surprising.

As the train came in from Boston she stood up, wondering just how Ruben Gold’s son would look like and what sort of man that he would be. As the doors of the train opened the station was then instantly filled with people and Belle was wondering at how she would be able to recognize this son. Certainly she had seen a image of Neal Cassidy, as there was a picture of him on the mantle, which was clearly the most cherished piece in Mr. Gold’s massive collection of various items. Only problem was that the boy in the image was about fourteen years old and she was certain that the man she was to meet was an adult man by now. Lucky for her she did not need to worry long.

“Miss French?” she heard a man’s voice behind her, turning around she saw him. He was a bit taller than his father, looking a bit scruffy, but that might be because of the long journey he had taken and that his father was missing, but this was undeniable professor Ruben Gold’s son.

“Neal Cassidy I presume?” she questioned reaching out her hand towards him. The man gave a nod, a polite smile on his lips.

“Yes, that is me, so you are my father’s maid?” he questioned, he was not certain just what he had expected of a woman living with his father it certainly was not her.

“I am. I am sorry that I have no good news to tell you. They have not found him, nor do we have any idea of where your father might be,” she excused herself, worry clear on her blue eyes. Neal simply gave her a slight nod.

“Do you… do you know where he might have gone? Any old friends that he might have paid an unexpected visit?” Belle asked as they started to walk down the platform. The young man simply shook his head.

“No… me and my father’s relationship has been… strained. We still write to each other, but I have not been able to visit him for a couple of years. But… even when we was close he was not really the social fellow, preferring far more to spend the time translating some old manuscripts,” Neal explained it. Belle nodded her head.

“I almost expected this… it is not that he goes out much. Which worries me so greatly. I have only known him to go between the library and his home. Not a man for going out,” she muttered as she moved her hands against each other. Neal glanced at the woman with a bit of wonder. It was quite unusual for a maid to worry so much about her master going missing, and this one seemed quite concerned and not only for her job.

Soon enough they arrived at the house, Belle finding it a bit strange to invite the man inside, as in truth this place would be more his home than hers, but she had grown very comfortable in this house.

“Is there anything you need Mr. Cassidy?” she then questioned, trying to remember to act as a servant, as her and Mr. Gold’s relationship had been more like friends rather than maid and master.

“Neal please… I am not really a Mr. to say it like that,” he chuckled. Belle smiled towards him and nodded her head.

“Neal then, you may call me Belle if you feel like it,” she smiled gently towards him.

“Belle then. How about we have a bit of tea together and we can talk about what we should do next?” Neal then asked. Belle nodded.

“Seems that you are not that different from your father,” she smiled before she then walked towards the kitchen, leaving Neal standing there with a surprised look upon his face.

While taking tea with the son of professor Ruben Gold the young maid found that the man was quite charming, a bit more personable than his father, but just like his father he was a very good man and she found herself enjoying his company.

She had told him everything that she knew, the conversation then going onto the subject then turning onto her time living with Ruben Gold. Neal seemed a bit surprised at how she spoke of his father, again feeling as there was a genuine friendship there. Not that he believed his father to be a bad man it was just… surprising to him.

It made him see his father in a different light than he had in some time. The way his mother or her family spoke of him made it sound like this maid lived with someone else than the man they had spoken about.

“So… Belle… do you know about what has happened at the university… about the professors going mad? You don’t think that… mother said that his work would at one time drive him to…”

“No,” Belle’s voice stopped him firmly.

“He is not mad. There are several who would say so, but they simply do not know him. I cannot argue that he is perhaps eccentric… even strange… but he is a very good man and perhaps a bit too into his work, but… I am most likely grossly overstepping my boundaries as I am hired as his maid, but I have come to think of us as friends. He is quite… nice, he has given me access to his library and… well… to be honest, that is the easiest way for anyone to make me their friend, but… well your father has always been polite and nice. Again, yes, strange, but I see nothing wrong with that. He even showed me what he has been working on… it is astonishing. I… I miss him… just hope that he is fine…” her voice got a bit mute at the end, glancing over at Neal wondering his reaction. Sitting there she actually saw him smile.

“It is strange… I just never expected someone to talk as my father that way. Started to think I was the only one who had a good word to say about him in truth. He was always a good father up until the divorce. I guess… I was mad at him for a long time after that… I was young… stupid. Did not realize that it was my mother which divorced him, not the other way around. Always thought we would make up… just never found the time… then I got the note saying he was missing… I just… I need to tell him that he did nothing wrong and that I am sorry,” he muttered as he lowered his head slowly.

“Divorce is never easy… but if this is the thing brings you and him close again… then something very good can come of this. Because… as I said before, you are not that different from your father, and I do mean that in the best possible way,” she smiled towards him, reaching out and touching his shoulder. Neal smiled before giving her a nod.

“Thank you…” he then said.

Before they were able to say anything more they were interrupted by a loud knock on the door. Both of them glanced at each other with wonder in their eyes, thinking who would make their way to the house of Mr. Gold so late in the evening. Standing up it was Neal who opened the door to officer David Nolan, Belle standing just beside him in the door opening. David Nolan greeted them both with a nod, though he seemed almost out of breath to concern himself too much with formalities before he said the words he had come so late in the evening to say.

“We found him.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle and Neal meet up with Mr. Gold in the hospital.

Belle French and Neal Cassidy was hurriedly driven to the hospital in the back of officer David Nolan’s car. Both of them were quietly worried, but somehow it felt as it was impossible for them to speak out loud right now.

Arriving at the hospital it was David who took the lead, taking them down the hallway where they met with dr. Whale, which looked a bit nervous as he approached them.

“Ah… so these are the family of professor Gold, huh? Dr. Whale, pleased to meet you,” he greeted them, unable to hide his unease, constantly glancing over his shoulder.

“Yes, this is Mr. Neal Cassidy, his son and Miss Belle French whom is Mr. Gold’s maid,” the officer explained to him. Dr. Whale looked quite surprised.

“Maid… well… guess he should be happy that he has people missing him,” he muttered, glancing down at his pad.

“Dr. Whale… officer Nolan, I am sorry for being curt, but please tell me what has happened with my father. Not really in the mood for pleasantries right now,” Neal said with a firm voice, Belle standing close by his side.

“Well…” David Nolan let out a slight sigh.

“We have been patrolling around the campus of the university when all the sudden we spotted someone walking out from the library building. You can imagine our surprise when we found it was professor Ruben Gold himself. He was in quite the confused state, not giving us a clear answer as to where he had been where had been, just that he needed to get back home. It seemed as if he did not see us at all. So we decided to bring him to the hospital… well that… and his fingers…” David Nolan explained.

“His fingers?” Neal questioned.

“It seems as the tips of his fingers have suffered severe frostbite,” the officer said. Both Neal and Belle was left utterly stunned by this.

“It is the middle of May and even if he had been outside for the time that he was missing he would not get frostbite!” Neal said stunned, looking from the officer to the doctor.

“I… I cannot explain it. It looks like his fingers are indeed as officer Nolan has explained frostbitten. Still, you’d be happy to know that his confusion has worn off now, replaced with what can only be described as a horribly bad mood,” Dr. Whale muttered as he shook his head.

“Has he said where he has been this week?” David asked the doctor.

“Well, I asked, only to be sneered at and told that this was none of my business. That response did sort of shut down conversation,” Dr. Whale responded.

“But… he is alright?” Belle asked, her blue eyes glowing with worry.

“Well… his frostbite needs to be tended, but other than that there is no other reason to keep him… that is unless officer Nolan have a ground for us to keep him,” Dr. Whale glanced over to the officer. David simply shook his shoulders.

“It is not like he is wanted for a crime… but… are you certain that he is not…” David did not continue the sentence.

“You are asking if my father has gone insane?” Neal stepped closer to the officer which held out his hands out towards him.

“It is just… it is worrying that is all. Your father suddenly vanished, he has been gone for a week, seemingly not wanting to explain where he has been. Not to mention he suddenly shows up, suffering from frostbite, something that should not be possible. You have to admit… this is strange,” David explained. Neal let out a long sigh. Also he had questioned the sanity of his father, and he found it hard to argue against the points that the officer brought up.

“He does not seem insane… rude yes, but that has hardly been able to made anyone declared insane unfortunately. The frostbite… I cannot explain,” dr. Whale shrugged.

“So… can we take him home?” Belle asked, only wishing to see the professor again. To make certain that it was really him.

“I see no reason for us to keep him here any longer… not to mention, he himself has been VERY adamant on going home, and it is getting quite hard to come up with an excuse as to why we need to keep him. As he has said himself, unless he is charged with anything, we are not technically allowed to hold him, and I am not yet comfortable declaring him insane,” Dr. Whale shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, I still wish to have a word with him, if you will excuse me,” officer David Nolan responded with a firm voice before he entered the room.

The rest of them were not really left waiting outside the door before David came walking out again, a slightly annoyed look on his face. The rest looked at him with questions in their faces, and the officer simply sighed loudly.

“He does not seem to be willing to explain where he has been, telling me quite firmly to either release him or charge him so that he could contact his lawyer,” he explained, though one could see that he was actually quite surprised. The young officer had known the professor, though they were not close he had always thought the man to be quite polite, a bit distant, clearly thinking of something else than the conversation that he was having. Still David found that he actually liked the man a fair bit despite not knowing him that well. Certainly he had never known him to be outwardly hostile to people like he had been now.

In truth he almost believed that the man had indeed gone insane, there was a wild look in those dark eyes. He had seen it before… that look. It was one of madness, yes… but a particular kind of madness. The madness of a man who had survived horrid things. Having served over in the European War David had seen that look several times, but the look in the professor’s eyes seemed that he had witness in the week he had been gone far fouler things than those that had spent years in the horrid trenches of the western front.

“What on earth is with him?” Neal had to ask, because this behavior did not sound like the man that he knew as his father.

“I am certain that he is just stressed, he has been gone for one week without telling anyone. Something has certainly happened to him, so it could be that he just wishes to get home and have some rest, after all, it is not impossible,” Belle said in defense of the man she had come to see as a good friend.

“Seems more angry than stressed,” Dr. Whale muttered mostly to himself.

“How about we speak to him instead? No man tends to be very pleasant to speak with if he feels he is about to be locked up. Let us not avoid the issue, we all know the talk about professors working at the university, and since Mr. Gold vanished for a week he may believe that you and dr. Whale is about to declare him insane and throw him into the asylum. If that was me, I might not be in the most pleasant of moods either,” Belle explained to David, doing her best to defend the actions of her employer, though even to her this hostile nature of the professor was surprising.

“Well… I suppose that it cannot do any harm as we are to release him regardless. We really have no reason to keep him,” David said as he mentioned them to enter the room. Belle was the one taking the lead, opening the door finding Ruben Gold standing with his back towards them, staring out the window.

From behind he looked the same that he had always done, his clothes perhaps the slightest bit disheveled, like what one would see on a man which had worked through the night and had not had the time to travel back to his home in order to change. But nothing more than that.

The tips of his fingers were bound in a order to try to help with the frostbite, but other than that he was just as Belle had seen him the day he vanished. Ruben Gold then turned around and she could see a strange exhaustion in his eyes that she had not seen before. In some strange way looking into his eyes she felt as if he had aged centuries, as if his soul was now far older than the morning he had left for work before his disappearing.

“Belle…” she felt her heart pounding against her chest as he spoke her name, he letting out a small smile, his dark eyes instantly warming. His eyes lifting to see the man behind her, his eyes widened in surprise.

“Bae… sorry, Neal…” He was barely able to get his words out at how surprised he was. Belle could only stand there feeling touched at how happy the man seemed, yet he seemed hesitant to approach the both of them, twinning his fingers slightly.

“What… what are you doing here?” his voice was that of an insecure stutter. “Not that I am happy to see you… just…”

At this point his voice faded out, glancing at the floor for a minute and blinking.

“You were missing for a week, papa. Of course I’d come. Where were you?” Neal asked as he without hesitation stepped closer to his father, resting his arm on the man’s shoulder.

“Oh yes… that… sorry about having worried you… and you too Miss French. I got an urgent telegram from a friend of mine in Boston… he was in a bit of a desperate state, so I had to go. Been staying with him this week…” Ruben Gold was quick to explain himself to his son.

“You were in Boston, with whom?” officer David Nolan then asked. The professor turned to him, a slight vicious glint in his dark eyes visible for a moment.

“Not that I consider it any of your business to know, officer, but his name is Richard Upton Pickman,” Mr. Gold then said.

“The painter?” Neal, having been living in the city of Boston was well acquainted with the painter himself… or the rumors around him at least. A painter of very macabre works of art which had gained him some fame, but had lately vanished out of the public eye and was now hardly ever seen. Most rumors around him did center around his questionable mental state, many whispers around him finally having gone insane.

“I have heard of him,” David chimed in.

“Yes, the very one, and as you have heard of him, I am certain that you have heard the rumors. Those of course worries him greatly. That some form of authority will question his sanity and thereby he will be thrown into an asylum and loose everything that he owns. A worry I myself can sympathize with,” the professor explained, crossing his arms.

“So then… what about your fingers?” David continued his questioning. Mr. Gold looked away, having little to no interest of actually continuing a conversation.

“Papa?” Neal urged and Ruben Gold glanced over at his son before letting out a sigh.

“My own fault. Do not touch things in a painter’s studio if you do not know what they are, you may end up getting corrosive chemicals on your fingers. Which I did. A chemical burn, nasty, but it should heal on its own,” Mr. Gold explained.

“The doctor thought it looked like frostbite,” David responded and at this Mr. Gold let out a chuckle.

“In the middle of May? Hardly the time to expect seeing a frostbite. Perhaps you should check what is in that flask of his if he mistakes a chemical burn for a frostbite especially when there is no real reason to believe a frostbite is even possible to occur,” he then mocked. David blinked. The story certainly checked out… but…

“Why did you not have it treated?” he then said, feeling that there was something still not right about this.

“I was about to when I got home, but that was delayed. It was not apparent in Boston… as chemical burns can take some time to set in as you know. I was also lacking sleep as the trip home was particularly rough, though I felt the need to take short trip to my office at the university, where you picked me up and brought me here. Which is why, if you and the good doctor do not mind… I would very much go to my home and catch up with my son,” his dark eyes were meeting the blue of the officer.

“Certainly professor, allow me to drive you home,” David mentioned with his hand towards the door. Mr. Gold gave a gracious nod, walking out, Belle following closely next to him… still worried for the exhaustion she saw in the man’s eyes.

David met Neal’s eyes as they were about to walk out, finding there the same concern which was in his own mind. Though the story made perfect sense… it would explain everything, though… both of them were certain that the professor was not telling the truth.

Though none of them knew what he felt such a need to keep hidden…


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruben Gold returns to his home and Belle starts having strange dreams.

David Nolan was uncertain to leave Belle French and Neal Cassidy with the professor, but he had no good reason to stay and having the need to get home to his wife. So he made his good byes rather quickly before driving himself home, trying to ignore the fears and the worries that was bothering him.

It had been a long day he told himself. He was tired and he was certain that those uneasy thoughts plaguing his mind would vanish when he could hold his wife and infant child.

Ruben Gold, his son and the maid named Belle made their way inside the house, Belle brought them tea, while the men was readying the fire and settled down.

Belle brought out the tea, about to excuse herself to allow the father and son to reconnect, but both seemed to wish to have her company and of course she complied.

Though the professor was seemingly exhausted he seemed so happy to have them both here, and after the usual ‘How have you been and what have you been up to?’ part of the conversation, father and son started to tell the maid stories from Neal’s childhood, like about the time that he was seven years old and had gotten into his father’s car wanting to drive and not wishing to wait as his father said until he was older.

Ruben Gold had came running out of their home to find his car rolling out of the driveway, his son of course having no idea how to control it.

Luckily he had been stopped rather quickly by a tree down the street, wrecking the front of the car, but luckily Neal escaped the encounter with just a cut on his forehead, the scar of which the young man showed Belle.

He then told her that he had of course been worried about his father’s reaction, but before he could apologize for the state of the vehicle, but was not able to get a single word in because of his father worrying so greatly because of the blood.

Belle had to giggle slightly at this, finding it so easy for her to imagine the professor worrying so much about his son to not notice the fact that his car was totaled and destroyed.

Mr. Gold concluded the tale by telling her that this story did stay in his mind when it came time to teach his son to drive and that he was holding onto the passenger door for his dear life. Neal shot his father a raised eyebrow, though then all of them broke out laughing.

And thus the evening passed all of them speaking and sharing stories. Belle could still feel that there was a lot unsaid between father and son… but this did not need to be resolved this evening. Too much had happened and they were all needing rest.

Because of rest of them were quickly getting sleepy… or two of them were. The one who was seemingly exhausted showed no sign of actually getting sleepy, even as the other two were nearly falling asleep in their chairs and yawning.

“It seems that you two need to get some sleep and I think I should turn in too… it has been a long night for all of us,” Mr. Gold then finally said as he stood himself up. The other two were not arguing saying their good nights before turning in, making themselves ready to go to sleep.

The professor remained down in the living room looking around, listening until he was certain that his son and his maid had gone into their rooms before he finally broke down and wept into his hands.

 

It had been a couple of days since the professor had returned, having actually to everyone’s surprise taken time off from his job at the university, not that anyone had anything to say about that, even though he had already been gone a week, but there was little anything they could say as he had never before taken time off… and in truth most were agreed that it might be good as they would not know how to act around him.

Neal having been out of work in Boston had decided to stay in Arkham, taking up work as a deputy under police officer David Nolan, his father having helped him find a place to rent, overjoyed that he had decided to stay close, and he had come to dinner each night he had the time off, together with Mr. Gold and Belle.

Belle herself was really happy over this development, though she had noticed that Ruben Gold was… changed. She could not explain it.

He had seemingly lost his interest in the ancient texts, saying that that work could wait. Instead he wanted to spend as much time with her and his son as he could, even helping her prepare tea and dinner every night and in those evenings that Neal was too busy the two would spend their evening together, speaking about everything that she wanted, him listening and offering his knowledge and experience.

She felt herself growing closer to him, even though she worried about the fact that he had gotten an aversion to leave his home, unless accompanied by her or his son. This was the reason she had suggested that they would take walks together now that the weather was as nice as it was.

It was clear by the look he was clearly not certain about it, though he had surprised it when he had agreed to her idea. Having taken a walk yesterday she had noticed that he had narrowed his eyes against the sun, even though he was shielding his eyes with tinted glasses.

But other than that he seemed to enjoy the trip, though they noticed that they were being watched, but luckily it did not seem like he noticed.

His wounds were seemingly fine, though they had not yet started to heal. She had seen them when she had taken off his bandages when she had to clean the wounds.

“I am sorry… you don’t have to do this…” he muttered when she saw the cracking and blackening skin, clearly ashamed. She simply shook her head gently.

“I don’t mind… it has to be done. I don’t mind tending your wounds… though if you find yourself in an another painter’s studio… don’t touch anything,” she gave him a smile. Ruben Gold gently leaned his head to the side, a slight smile on his lips.

“I assure you Miss French… I have learned my lesson,” the professor assured her. She then proceeded to clean the skin and rebound his bandages.

Their eyes met then and she found herself stunned. His eyes were so enthralling. She had always liked his eyes… but now… it was something more there. Now his eyes seemed impossibly ancient, holding knowledge beyond human comprehension…

Belle French thought about that as she was taking on her nightgown.

In that moment she knew what she had already had suspected for some time. She had fallen for her employer. She knew that he had a son about her age, but… she found that she adored to be by his side. The time that he had been gone she had found herself missing him far more than she believed she would.

Certainly they had become friends, but the moment their eyes met when she was tending his wounds she felt herself wanting to lift her head place a kiss upon his lips. She wondered how he would react if she had done that, but her courage then faltered.

Could it be that he cared for her too?

She thought that it at least was possible… the way that they kept spending time together and how he chose to spend time with her. If he did not at all care for her then… would he wish to spend so much time by her side?

Still confessing her love for him… it was too soon. Perhaps show him how she felt in some way… though she did not know how.

She had never been in love before… she was also well aware that in reality it was not as in her books. Reality was much different and confusing. She then sighed shaking her head before she lifted up her blanket and slipped into bed.

It had not been long since Ruben Gold had returned, she would give it time. Softly she closed her eyes, hoping that she would get a good night’s rest, because the last couple of nights she found that her sleep had been uneasy. It was nothing, she told herself. She was most likely still coming down from the stressful days when she did not know what had become of her employer.

Softly she let out a long breath before she closed her eyes and within seconds she was asleep.

 

But this night’s sleep was even more uneasy than the nights passed. Within her dreams she could see someone in the room with her. Someone standing there and looking down upon her sleeping form with glowing eyes. Those were the only feature that she was clearly able to see. It was as she was looking at him through a veil… like something was separated her from it.

She could see its shape and though it looked vaguely human it clearly was not as it had a long tail flicking between him and had four arms with long claws, the pair of arms which was sticking up from his shoulders were longer… with three fingers instead of the five on its human arms.

Belle found herself unable to move and though uneasy… she was not scared.

Though it was little more than a shadow she recognized what she was seeing. The Father…

It had been so long since she had thought about the legend… Ruben Gold having not mentioned it since he got back. She knew he still had the parchments, keeping them safe in his room, but as far as she knew he hadn’t done any work on continuing the translation.

She did not understand why this creature had come to her in her dreams… because it was a dream was it not? It did not feel like one… it did not feel like she was awake, but this was something different… like a she was between the world of reality and the world of dreams.

Unaware of what she should do, but found herself now able to sit up and she did, swearing that she could feel the blanket sliding off her as she moved.

Belle knew its glowing eyes were following her as that was the only part of him that she could see clearly. Still… she wasn’t scared. It would never hurt her… she knew this.

Slowly she reached out her hand towards it, her palm open as she continued to look up at him with her blue eyes. She was still uncertain… but her heart was pounding… not just from fear. She dared to give it a gentle smile.

With this it took a step closer raising its right human hand towards her. She could now see its hand, seeing those gleaming sharp claws and noticed that though the hand they were attached to was human looking the skin had gleaming shimmering scales.

However just before their hands would touch she woke up, opening her eyes and finding herself in her room and that everything was as it had always been.

Her heart was still in a flutter from what she had experienced and was not able to go back to bed right away, instead making her way to the kitchen to have a cup of tea.

As she waited for her tea to cool she stared out of the window taking in the sight of the stars above, wondering about just what she had experienced.

When she had finished her tea and cleared away her cup she went back to bed, wondering if she would see the creature again, but she slipped into the world of sleep… with no one else in the room with her this time.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruben Gold gather up the courage to ask Belle to have dinner with him.

“Are you alright?”

Belle turned her head to look into the concerned eyes of her friend and employer. She gave him a gentle smile, nodding her head.

“Oh yes… just had a really strange dream last night,” she told him. He furrowed his eyes slightly.

“Oh?” he questioned as he took a couple of steps closer. “What… what was the dream about…? If you… if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Um… I don’t remember quite clearly…” she lied. The dream was quite clear in her mind as if it was no dream at all.

“Really?” he asked, his voice still soft and gentle, but Belle had a strange feeling that he did not quite believe him, though she could not really say why.

“Well… I do remember something… I think I was dreaming about the Father… you know, from the legend you told me,” she confided then. Ruben Gold cocked his head ever so slightly at her words and blinked his eyes.

“Hm… why do you think that you would be dreaming of him?” he then asked. Belle shrugged.

“In truth I haven’t really thought of the legend in a time… but I guess I must have. Then again… dreams are not really known for making sense,” she gave him a gentle smile.

“That is true…” Gold said as he filled up the kettle with water and placed it on the stove. He then went silent for a while before he glanced over at her.

“Were you afraid?” he then asked. Belle blinked. It was a strange question, making her lean her head to the side.

“No… I wasn’t…” she then said after a while.

“No. I wasn’t,” her voice was a bit firmer then, a greater certainty. “I felt… I knew that he wouldn’t hurt me.”

Ruben Gold smiled and then nodded his head.

“No… I do not believe that he would,” he said with a rather soft voice. Belle observed her strange employer for a while.

“Why did you ask?” she then asked. He startled slightly at her question, an uncertain look coming upon his dark eyes.

“Um… well… it is silly…” he stuttered ever so slightly. She took a step closer to him, noting that he was actually quite nervous.

“Tell me?” she asked gently.

“The others… that has worked for me before you… started to get scared and then they left… I did not want you to… to leave…” the last part of his sentence was in a small whisper, just barely loud enough for her to hear.

She gave him a soft smile then, nodding her head softly before she reached out her hand in order to hold his.

“Don’t worry Mr. Gold… I am not going to leave. I am very happy in your home and it was not a nightmare… just… odd… interesting even. Though I wonder what made me think of that legend… I haven’t thought about it in such a long while,” she pondered, still holding onto his hand. He gave her a slight shrug.

“Dreams… dreams can be very strange indeed,” he gave her a slight shrug.

“Truer words have never been spoken, it was rather… exciting… is that strange?” she question. He moved his head ever so slightly.

“Yes… yes it is very strange,” he said with a teasing tone.

“Ruben!” she exclaimed with a great smile upon her lips, hitting his arm playfully.

“Well… it is true… but who am I to speak… I am pretty strange myself,” he chuckled softly. Belle nodded gently.

“Yes… well I suppose that is true indeed, do you want some tea?” she asked then. He nodded.

“Thank you that would be wonderful… um Belle… there has been something I have been meaning to ask…” his voice was getting clearly nervous, stuttering a bit. Belle leaned her head slightly wondering about his nervous behavior.

“What is it, Mr. Gold?” she then asked with a gentle voice.

“Um… I was thinking… tomorrow… if you wish it… that we… could go out to dinner?” he then asked, something which he had meant to ask before his disappearance.

Belle was quite stunned and did not really know what to say, looking at him with big blue eyes. She had never really expected him to ask. So she just stood there, unable to move or speak.

Ruben Gold lowered his head slightly, now refusing to meet her eyes.

“Um… if you don’t want to…”

“Yes!” she interrupted him. He looked up at her, seeing that she was quite flustered, but that there was a smile upon her lips. “I mean… I would love to  have dinner with you.”

She felt her heart was pounding within her chest, smiling gently as she twinned her fingers ever so gently.

“Well… that is nice. So… anywhere you wish to go?” Ruben Gold was quite surprised that she had agreed and was now at quite at a loss of what he should do next.

“Anywhere will be fine… as you know… I don’t usually go out. Surprise me,” she then smiled towards him. He continued to look at her, before he gave her a gentle smile.

“Alright… tomorrow then?” he asked, leaning his head slightly to the side. Belle nodded her head gently.

“I am really looking forward to it,” she blushed gently.

 

The rest of the evening had been a bit awkward between the two of them… but it was a happy sort of awkward. Both of them were having trouble of finding things to speaking about for the longest of times, both were a bit flustered, but they were unable to keep a smile of their lips. Their tea was taken in mostly silence, but they would glance over at each other.

Many a time when Belle would look over to him she found him looking at her. It was not intimidating or unnerving… but it almost was as if he had a distant look in his eyes. As if he still was far away from her, even though he was sitting next to her.

It was a strange thought that she knew that she should not give much credence yet… it was one she was unable to shake.

The thought struck her that he was wanting to be here… but did no longer belong.

Again it was a silly thought which crossed her mind, but one which stayed. She found her blue eyes meet his dark ones, looking into them. Again she got the impression that they were ancient, as if he had already lived for unknown eons.

“While… while you were gone… what happened to you?” Belle had to ask, looking over at him. The professor stopped his drinking of the tea, gently lowering it towards the saucer.

“Hm…?” he glanced at her.

“Something happened did it not?” Belle questioned. Ruben Gold gently put down his tea on the table, but not daring to meet her eyes. Thus he sat for quite some time, looking out into the empty air.

“Yes…” his voice was barely that of a whisper.

“What happened?” she moved closer towards him in his chair. He looked over at her, leaning his head against the back of his chair ever so slightly.

“I… I realized how short a human life is,” he then murmured. Belle blinked, as it was not what she expected him to say. He gave her a small smile.

“And because of that I realized what was important. My son… and…” here he stopped.

“What?” Belle’s blue eyes never left him, waiting with abated breath for his next words.

“You…”

 

Belle’s mind was still thinking about what Mr. Gold’s words as she was making herself ready to go to bed. To think that he thought that she was an important part of his life. There was a silence between them after before they started to talk about some trivial thing… Belle could not remember… most likely about some book or the like, normally a topic which she adored, but now she had other thoughts in her mind which made it hard.

He had also invited her for dinner… that meant he liked her right? That he perhaps like her wanted to…

Belle felt her heart flutter within her chest.

It was silly… she was acting like a schoolgirl with a crush. She had never really taken a great interest in men… she had never met one able to hold her interest. Mr. Gold had… to her he was immensely interesting, but also… with a softer side.

She had to her shame also admit to her shame that she was also attracted to the fact that he was misunderstood… that she could be the one there for him to rely on and to be the object of his adoration. To be the object of his desire.

It was not noble thoughts the young woman had… but true non the less.

She never thought that she would be able to get to sleep… but here she was mistaken, soon enough she was well within the realm of dreams.

But still… strangely within this realm she felt someone looking at her. Opening her dreams within this state of sleep… yet being in full control… she sat herself up and smiled.

“I wondered if you were going to show up.”


End file.
